<![CDATA[Article Comments for Tom Iwanski]]>http://www.windowsitpro.com/authors/author/author/5777544/rsscomment/5777544en-USSun, 27 May 2012 07:32:54 GMTSun, 27 May 2012 07:32:54 GMTLicense Management and Metering Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/licensing/license-management-and-metering-tools#commentsAnchorMon, 11 Apr 2011 07:37:28 GMT
I would like to add License Statistics to this list of license management and metering tools. More info here: http://www.x-formation.com/]]>PeterMon, 11 Apr 2011 07:37:28 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/licensing/license-management-and-metering-tools#commentsAnchorClusterX 3.0.1 for MSCShttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/clustering/clusterx-3-0-1-for-mscs#commentsAnchorFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:18:52 GMT
Very good article on clusters]]>arvindFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:18:52 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/clustering/clusterx-3-0-1-for-mscs#commentsAnchorClusterX 3.0.1 for MSCShttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/clustering/clusterx-3-0-1-for-mscs#commentsAnchorFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:17:56 GMT
Good Article]]>arvindFri, 04 Jul 2008 08:17:56 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/clustering/clusterx-3-0-1-for-mscs#commentsAnchorAsset and License Managementhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/auditing/asset-and-license-management#commentsAnchorMon, 10 Sep 2007 13:20:21 GMT
The list of software saved a lot of research time.]]>SeanMon, 10 Sep 2007 13:20:21 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/auditing/asset-and-license-management#commentsAnchorNorton Ghost 6.0 Enterprise Editionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorTue, 15 May 2007 01:06:44 GMT
useful but not understanding]]>gadamsrikanth Tue, 15 May 2007 01:06:44 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorWireless Application Protocol Solutionshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-application-protocol-solutions22636#commentsAnchorFri, 15 Dec 2006 06:02:27 GMT
Your Comments (required):]]>Name (required): Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:02:27 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-application-protocol-solutions22636#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorThu, 08 Sep 2005 05:11:34 GMT
DISK CLEAN-UP Windows 98: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Clean-up OR My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, General, Disk Clean-up Windows XP: Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Clean-up OR My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, Tools, Disk Clean-up SCANDISK Windows 98: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk OR My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, Tools, Error-Checking Status Windows XP: My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, Tools, Error-Checking STANDARD: Checks for file system errors THOROUGH: Also checks for bad sectors (damaged areas on disk) DEFRAGMENTING Windows 98: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter OR My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Proper ties, Tools, Defragmentation Status Windows XP: My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, Tools, Disk Defragmenter OR My Computer, Right-Click on drive letter, Properties, Tools, Defragmentation File Recovery Software Recupero di Dati Datenrettungs Software]]>Anonymous User Thu, 08 Sep 2005 05:11:34 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorMicrosoft Certification Exam Preparation Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/buyers-guide/microsoft-certification-exam-preparation-tools#commentsAnchorTue, 15 Mar 2005 08:52:45 GMT
He has no idea what the hell he is talking about.]]>Anonymous User Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:52:45 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/buyers-guide/microsoft-certification-exam-preparation-tools#commentsAnchorGigabit Ethernet Switcheshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorWed, 09 Mar 2005 10:30:36 GMT
nice article..really knowladgeable]]>Anonymous User Wed, 09 Mar 2005 10:30:36 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorWireless Modemshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorMon, 07 Mar 2005 11:06:26 GMT
son of a *****]]>Anonymous User Mon, 07 Mar 2005 11:06:26 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorNessus: An Open-Source Optionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/nessus-an-open-source-option#commentsAnchorMon, 24 Jan 2005 19:34:19 GMT
123456]]>Anonymous User Mon, 24 Jan 2005 19:34:19 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/nessus-an-open-source-option#commentsAnchorThe Challenge of Defragmenting an NTFS Partitionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorSun, 23 Jan 2005 22:26:29 GMT
not enough detail]]>Anonymous User Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:26:29 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorAutoInstall 1.17http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/autoinstall-1-17#commentsAnchorSat, 15 Jan 2005 18:46:46 GMT
jadshgkahlgshka]]>Anonymous User Sat, 15 Jan 2005 18:46:46 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/autoinstall-1-17#commentsAnchorThe Challenge of Defragmenting an NTFS Partitionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorMon, 20 Dec 2004 07:10:46 GMT
Rather]]>Anonymous User Mon, 20 Dec 2004 07:10:46 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorThe Challenge of Defragmenting an NTFS Partitionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorMon, 29 Nov 2004 09:09:11 GMT
Very good]]>Anonymous User Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:09:11 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/file-systems/the-challenge-of-defragmenting-an-ntfs-partition#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorMon, 22 Nov 2004 14:16:50 GMT
Forgive the long and possibly wandering comments. Syncsort was our ’one and only’ software for backing up our systems, since about 1999. The product worked as advertised, and allowed us to backup our Unix and Windows clients from one system. Then, about 1-2 years ago, the problems started. We received an upgrade, and gladly installed it, only to find out that during the upgrade our ’catalog’ was destroyed. Apparantly the process consumed all disk space (Needed to have 110% of existing catalog size free to install, and we did not, but no warning was given), and failed to convert the catalog correctly. We also didn’t find this out, until after the next catalog save completed, which erased the last catalog save. Although we should have had more than 1 tape for the ’catalog’, we assumed that the catalog was also being backed up with the normal saves. We were informed from tech support, that the ’data’ directory is automatically exlcuded from the normal system backups, even if you explicitly select it. So, we were forced to ’start over’, with no way to reload the catalogs from the old tapes, as most other systems are able to do. Recently having upgraded to AIX 5.3, we decided to upgrade to BackEx latest 2.2 version, with the web interface. The upgrade went smooth with no signs of problems. We succesfully restored a few files, and were happy, until we attempted to do a backup. The system reported hardware problems on the ’SCSI’ interface. Syncsort support blamed the hardware. We disagreed, since all was working until that upgrade, but gladly contacted IBM and exabyte. IBM replaced the SCSI cards, and the cables. Exabyte tested the drives, and found no problems. Syncsort still insisted there was a hardware problem. We purchased another SCSI card, and installed the library onto that controller, but BackEx still reported hardware problems, on every SCSI interface that had a tape drive attached (3 scsi cards now). It was apparant to us, that the problem was related to syncsort, and possibly it running on AIX 5.3 IBM’s tools reported no errors, and was able to backup to every tape drive in the system An engineer from Syncsort attempted a few fixes, they even sent a tech on site, who simply reviwed the cabling and installation... Well, after 30+ days, we still do not have a backup, and have decided to switch to another vendor, and funny enough, there are no SCSI bus errors, and we’re using the same hardware / drivers as was used with syncsort’s backup express. Goodbye Syncsort.]]>Anonymous User Mon, 22 Nov 2004 14:16:50 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorERD Commander 2000 2.0http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/erd-commander-2000-2-0#commentsAnchorSat, 23 Oct 2004 16:41:49 GMT
software ]]>Anonymous User Sat, 23 Oct 2004 16:41:49 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/erd-commander-2000-2-0#commentsAnchorUpgrading to Gigabit Ethernethttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/performance/upgrading-to-gigabit-ethernet#commentsAnchorWed, 08 Sep 2004 04:46:24 GMT
Great article which goes some way to explaining why the money I’ve just spent on upgrading my 3-PC 100M LAN to gigabit has only seen about 10% performance increase and why the gigabit cards seem never to go above 12% utilisation. However, I thought 32-bit 33MHz PCI bus theoretical transfer rate was 133MBs (mega bytes not bits) and so, even half of gigabit’s theoretical bandwidth, say 500Mbs (mega bits) shouldn’t be approaching the PCI bus theoretical limit? ]]>CarlRWed, 08 Sep 2004 04:46:24 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/performance/upgrading-to-gigabit-ethernet#commentsAnchorWireless Modemshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorThu, 01 Jul 2004 12:34:47 GMT
Informative. I’m doing a case study on CDMA modes, interfacing with CDMA modem with PC,processor, AT command set. Kindly, help me in the same. I would be highly obliged if u send me some valuable info. on the same so that I can have a valued report. regards Piyush]]>Name (required):piyush Thu, 01 Jul 2004 12:34:47 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorUpgrading to Gigabit Ethernethttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/performance/upgrading-to-gigabit-ethernet#commentsAnchorTue, 29 Jun 2004 08:04:30 GMT
I’ve been searching for useful information on why my gigabit network has not met its potential. I figured it was I/O disk issue and probably the bus speed, but your article helped my confirm. Thanks again.]]>Miakell Figueredo Tue, 29 Jun 2004 08:04:30 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/performance/upgrading-to-gigabit-ethernet#commentsAnchorWindows XP Goes Wirelesshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/windows-xp-goes-wireless#commentsAnchorTue, 22 Jun 2004 14:36:06 GMT
I have recently purchased a Intel 2011 LAN Access Point, and have never used one before. It never came with any real installation instructions like where to plug what where. Can some one give me some insight in what to do??]]>Berian Tue, 22 Jun 2004 14:36:06 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/windows-xp-goes-wireless#commentsAnchorERD Utilitieshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/administration-tools2/erd-utilities#commentsAnchorThu, 22 Apr 2004 05:03:51 GMT
Deep enough to be useful, but not too long. Gave me just what I needed.]]>John Gwilliam Thu, 22 Apr 2004 05:03:51 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/administration-tools2/erd-utilities#commentsAnchorInstallShield Tunerhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/installation2/installshield-tuner#commentsAnchorMon, 19 Apr 2004 04:49:03 GMT
Great article - where can I download the InstallShield Tuner?]]>Hilik Himovich Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:49:03 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/installation2/installshield-tuner#commentsAnchorMicrosoft Certification Exam Preparation Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/buyers-guide/microsoft-certification-exam-preparation-tools#commentsAnchorSun, 25 Jan 2004 11:26:18 GMT
I am studying for the Windosw 2000 MCSE. I have already obtained MCP’s in 2 components. I do not work in the network ideal environment to get the necessary hands on experience and understanding of the topics I study. I depend entirely on vemdor’s exam simulations and preparation guides products to pass the necessary exams!]]>chandraSun, 25 Jan 2004 11:26:18 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/buyers-guide/microsoft-certification-exam-preparation-tools#commentsAnchorWireless Modemshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorWed, 07 Jan 2004 09:52:39 GMT
i dont know wether you can help me i have a telephone line in my company where i can access the internet,make phone calls etc,and where i live is far as 5km from the company,which wireless device you suggest me to use for connection to get the same facility in my house thanks in advance]]>AlWed, 07 Jan 2004 09:52:39 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorNorton Ghost 6.0 Enterprise Editionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorWed, 03 Dec 2003 07:38:08 GMT
thanks]]>abhijitWed, 03 Dec 2003 07:38:08 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorWireless Modemshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorWed, 19 Nov 2003 00:33:59 GMT
Please I would like to have more information on Wireless modems. I have a Laptop computer and I do not always have access to a telephone line. In our business we travel all the time. Please can you direct me to more information. thank you]]>Athena Hunter Wed, 19 Nov 2003 00:33:59 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/wireless-modems#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorWed, 30 Oct 2002 09:15:47 GMT

Our company is in the process of reviewing enterprise backup software. I read Tom Iwanski’s "Enterprise Backup Software" (June 2000, InstantDoc ID 8725) and wondered whether the author has done any recent reviews.

]]>Todd Edwards Wed, 30 Oct 2002 09:15:47 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorWed, 30 Oct 2002 09:14:39 GMT

For a more recent look at backup products, see Ed Roth’s "Enterprise Backup Solutions" (October 2001, InstantDoc ID 22239). I suggest that you thoroughly test any products in your own environment, if possible. Some vendors provide a timed trial version of their software that’s viable for comparative testing. Defining what features are most important for your environment and which product addresses them the best is crucial. For example, performance might be critical for your organization because you have a narrow backup window. Ease of use is also important, especially if you’ll have moderately skilled technicians performing backups and restores. The list is unique to each environment.

]]>Tom Iwanski Wed, 30 Oct 2002 09:14:39 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorGigabit Ethernet Switcheshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorWed, 30 Oct 2002 08:56:45 GMT

Tom Iwanski’s Lab Feature: "Gigabit Ethernet Switches" (May 2002, InstantDoc ID 24551) presents interesting results. I’ve been testing with FireWire recently, having finally obtained a controller with a chipset that supports full 400Mbps throughput. Whether running on Windows XP or Windows 2000 machines, I’ve noticed that a full data transfer makes the machine a little jumpy. I’ve always felt that Windows’ maximum throughput was probably a bit less than 500Mbps, and my informal FireWire testing seems to confirm it.

Your report of Gigabit Ethernet throughput seems to back my theory because in your tests, you hit a wall at just under 500Mbps throughput. I wonder how much of the problem is hardware-related (e.g., bus speeds) and how much is just a limitation of the OS’s throughput capabilities.

]]>Don Jones Wed, 30 Oct 2002 08:56:45 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorGigabit Ethernet Switcheshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorWed, 30 Oct 2002 08:56:06 GMT

Your theory might be correct, but Microsoft would disagree. The company claims that the revamped kernel of XP and Win2K is capable of higher throughputs.

I’m confident that the performance limits I experienced were due to bus limitations because I spoke with several people (an IBM bus engineer in particular) who shared similar results from their tests. A performance limit within the Win2K kernel is likely, but the Lab hasn’t done any testing to confirm that claim.

]]>Tom Iwanski Wed, 30 Oct 2002 08:56:06 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorGigabit Ethernet Switcheshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorSat, 18 May 2002 02:39:45 GMT
I want to compliment you on an excellent article. I found it very useful & informative. More articles in this area would be very welcome. Thanks Paul]]>paul fitzpatrick Sat, 18 May 2002 02:39:45 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/gigabit-ethernet-switches#commentsAnchorWireless Securityhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/wireless-technology2/wireless-security#commentsAnchorWed, 01 May 2002 11:31:17 GMT
Why not discuss SSH as a solution. It’s low cost (or free if you’re technically inclined), interoperates across many platforms and secures virtually all TCP/IP data. Granted, this doesn’t address bandwidth theft but for me, data integrity is what’s important. My wireless connections at home and work are in locations where someone sitting in a war van would be very conspicuous.]]>Marc Orchant Wed, 01 May 2002 11:31:17 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/wireless-technology2/wireless-security#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorMon, 18 Mar 2002 08:26:34 GMT
I read this article, and being a TSM administrator, I was suprised to see Netbackup held in such high regard. After reading the article I came across the following post on www.adsm.org (a TSM support website) and thought it to be VERY Pertinent to the information presented here: -----Original Message----- From: Seay, Paul [mailto:seay_pd@NAPTHEON.COM] Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 12:28 AM To: Subject: Re: VM TSM migration options: Veritas vs Netbackup There has been a lot of recent discussion on the list about the subject area of Veritas on Intel versus TSM. The comments here are for everyone, not the author of the question, nothing is personally meant by any comments here. Bottomline, NetBackup doesn’t scale at all. We are ripping it out of the Windows environment right now. We worked for 18 months with Veritas Engineering to try to fix the product. They simply gave up. The word "compete" should not even be put in the same sentence when speaking of Netbackup vs TSM on Intel. If you have less than 20 clients to backup and none with over 50GB of data, Netbackup will be OK. That is if you never need to create duplicate offsite copies or need a deleted file policy. Duplication on Windows is an impossibility in the Netbackup world unless you buy 4 times the hardware you have in comparison to TSM and a 24 to 72 hour window to create those duplicates. Deleted file policy, Netbackup, asks what is a policy? No such animal, so you get stuck when you do not catch that a file has been deleted before your tapes expire in Netbackup. The key word here is tape expiration, not backup object expiration. NetBackup has no such thing as storage management. I refer to it as NetBackup, GrossNoRestore. In other words, NetBackup backs up some of your stuff, but you will never be able to restore it all. Yeah, UNIX is next. After the debacles of implementing 3.4 of Netbackup, Veritas really dug the grave deep. Oh, I forgot to mention that our Windows Netbackup 3.4 migration lead to a down (backups lost) situation for weeks and we ended up figuring out what the problems were. Because we lost half the performance from 3.2 to 3.4 on Windows, we were faced with needing to change. More or better hardware would not fix the problem, hell, we are using ESS disk and Magstar FC tape with high-end servers. Before the migration we were getting 4.5MB/sec and up to 10 in certain situations. Veritas could not figure out how we were getting these levels of performance. They could not reproduce them with our own server and identical hardware in their labs. Simply, Netbackup cannot scale in the Windows environment. I consider myself an expert on Netbackup and a knowledgeable person on TSM. I believed the Netbackup hype, thought the product was the best because it had the features that I thought were needed. When actually, implementing you find out the features differences with TSM are gimmicks to get you to buy and really never scale making them unusable. These gimmicks cause you to overlook the real issue of being able to restore your business, which implies having control and the ability to direct what is backed up. Netbackup’s GUI is impressive, it is the registry hackers dream. Wait till all the timeout crap hits the fan and you start tweaking registry entries, creating undocumented touch files and finding out there is poor to non-existent Windows support at Veritas for Netbackup when you have a critical problems. When you are paying 23% maintenance from a large account you would think that having half a dozen critical down situation open calls would get someone from Development engaged to work with your account. We finally surmised these people did not exist anymore. Yes, TSM has its quirks and customers have lost data over the years, but probably mostly of their own doing and not really learning the TSM product. After 911, everyone should be taking backup and recovery at a different seriousness. If not, you are in the wrong business. That means if you are not an expert in the backup product you are using and doing regular disaster recovery tests, then shame on you, get to be an expert. If you are not capable, choose a vendor that has support, Tivoli is one of them. The shame if it is we automatically set the support expectation bar 2 notches higher when it is an IBM company, but we will pay more to a fly-by-night organization and make excuses for them when they do not answer the phone. This all said make your NetBackup/TSM decision on facts, not likes or dislikes. Your business depends on you getting this right and ultimately your job and reputation. Consider one final note. Your understanding of TSM is an irreplaceable asset. You could spend 50K training people alone on Netbackup and still not be able to support the product. The cost of TSM is much less than Netbackup in the long term. See if you can work a deal with IBM to convert your drives to FC or SCSI for a nominal fee. The "staying with TSM" carrot may be all that is needed to push the button hard enough to get someone’s attention. ESCON is relatively slow compared to SCSI and fibre channel. FICON is a different story. If you have MVS, that is ultimately the cheapest answer to your problem.]]>Brandon McFeron Mon, 18 Mar 2002 08:26:34 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorApplication-Deployment Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchorTue, 12 Feb 2002 14:03:36 GMT
Our organization is re-evaluating our Systems Management Strategy, and we were very intrigued by your article. We can certainly understand the desire to stay away from including Unicenter, SMS and Tivoli. However we are considering Novadigm, along with serveral others from your article, at this time. We are very interested in your opinion about Radia 3.0. Based on product literature, I don’t see much difference between Marimba or Novadigm. If you were to offer to recommend a product for us from your article,which would it be? We have approx 12,000+ Windows 2000 Professional Workstations in 9 major U.S. hubs, with several hundred remote sites tied into them. Bandwidth throttling and Multicasting would be extremely vital to our selection. We are utilizing Active Directory, and would most certainly require any solution we select to make use of AD OU’s and Users. Thanks, ]]>Jason Huff Tue, 12 Feb 2002 14:03:36 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchorBurned by the CodeRed Wormhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/systems-administrator/burned-by-the-codered-worm#commentsAnchorWed, 23 Jan 2002 09:31:56 GMT
"extraordinary sophistication of the CodeRed worm", give me a break! Port scanning, a vulnerability check against port80 and then it executes.... Pls explain the extraordinarily sophisticated part, and or how it’s more sophisticated than the many other script kiddie/worm/Netbus/BackOrifice attack’s that are run constantly. Your box was vulnerable, you left it exposed (unintentionally), the machine was scanned, the vulnerability was found and used, there’s nothing sophisticated about it.]]>AnonWed, 23 Jan 2002 09:31:56 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/systems-administrator/burned-by-the-codered-worm#commentsAnchorApplication-Deployment Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchorFri, 18 Jan 2002 14:41:34 GMT


Application-Deployment Tools

I read Tom Iwanski’s "Application-Deployment Tools" (August 2001), which reviews five such tools. The article covers most of the concerns I’ve dealt with in running a large software-distribution operation for the past few years, but I wonder why the article didn’t include some of the heavyweight tools in this category: Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS), Tivoli Systems’ Tivoli Software Distribution, Computer Associate’s (CA’s) Unicenter Software Delivery, and Novadigm’s Radia.

We’re a large enterprise (70,000 seats), and these products are the only tools that made our evaluation list. Admittedly, SMS, Tivoli, and Unicenter come with a fair amount of baggage, but many large organizations need this baggage (e.g., remote control, inventory, monitoring, management). Radia and SMS don’t really require much beyond the inventory and software distribution and management that they supply.

Tom Cornwell
tom.w.cornwell@kp.org

This product feature looks at a representative sample of purpose-specific products that don’t fall in the category of framework solutions. I settled on this approach because I needed to narrow the field of players yet still meet the needs of a large number of IT shops that want functionality without the "baggage" you mention. In the future, we’ll look at some of the other products in this key area.

Tom Iwanski
]]>Tom Cornwell Fri, 18 Jan 2002 14:41:34 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchorWindows XP Goes Wirelesshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/windows-xp-goes-wireless#commentsAnchorWed, 19 Dec 2001 13:30:44 GMT
Beware one thing, however: since Micro$oft changed the networking stack in WinXP, not all NIC drivers work right at this time. For example, the 3Com 802.11b PCMCIA cards have a "drop out" problem (they work for 1-3 minutes, then fail), and 3Com and M$ still can’t agree on the drivers.]]>Eric Wallace Wed, 19 Dec 2001 13:30:44 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/windows-xp-goes-wireless#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorMon, 10 Sep 2001 14:55:23 GMT
It is nightmare to deploy Syncsort’s Backup Express in an enterprise environment. Let say you have 1000 nodes with 100 servers in your domain and you want to install the client on all the servers. BEX would prompt you for EVERY node in the domain asking whether you want to install the client on that computer. There is no way to choose the servers you want to install from a list. Anyone feel like answering 1000 Yes/No questions? The alternative would be going to each server and do the install. There is also no way to see a list of upcoming backup jobs for the next week. You can only see jobs day-by-day. This is definitely NOT an enterprise solution.]]>Jason Leo Mon, 10 Sep 2001 14:55:23 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorFri, 24 Aug 2001 16:22:21 GMT
The author’s experience with BackupExpress "Communication problem" is just the beginning of all the problems this product has. I have been trying to get the product to run in my environment for 2 months starting with 214A to 214C and have yet to get it working. First off, there was no installation documentation when I was working with 214B. And after few calls to Syncsort and few registry changes, the 214B finally recognized Exchange 2000 Mailboxes. But when I tried to do a restore, the attachments were not restored. And after a month and promises of 214C would fix all the problems, I gave it a try again only to find out that the program quits itself when I try to format 3 tapes. Still waiting for a working product...]]>Jason Leo Fri, 24 Aug 2001 16:22:21 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchor802.11 Wireless Deviceshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorTue, 14 Aug 2001 08:58:43 GMT
I have used many wireless AP (dlink, aironet, orinoco) with different platforms, (mac, windows 98, ME, 2000, linux). The only one that has the most features and drivers is Orinoco AP-1000 Access Point, it works with all 3 platforms. One Caveat, haven’t have the time to figure out how to enable 128 encryption on the Mac cube (if that is possible). It works as is, but I have to set the Access Point to allow non-encrypted data. I can even restrict which wireless card can access the AP by MAC address. Ha!! It is more expensive though. But I can extend the range with another wireless AP. @ home, I have 2 laptops (one G3 and one thinkpad), a G4 Cube with airport card, an amd desktop with a pci pcmcia card slot for the orinoco gold card.]]>brian ng Tue, 14 Aug 2001 08:58:43 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorSingle-Spindle Notebookshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/laptops-and-notebooks/single-spindle-notebooks#commentsAnchorTue, 24 Jul 2001 15:24:03 GMT
Hi Paul,
From the first paragraph in the article, "single-spindle notebooks eliminate the standard internal bay devoted to a floppy or CD-ROM drive and rely on the hard disk as the sole internal storage device."

Single spindle is not an uncommon term. I kind of like it since it concisely defines small form factor and the absense of an internal floppy or CDROM drive. Nonetheless, I’m open for suggestions.

--Tom Iwanski
Windows 2000 Magazine ]]>Tom Iwanski Tue, 24 Jul 2001 15:24:03 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/laptops-and-notebooks/single-spindle-notebooks#commentsAnchorSingle-Spindle Notebookshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/laptops-and-notebooks/single-spindle-notebooks#commentsAnchorFri, 20 Jul 2001 04:06:02 GMT
Yet again we have created a nonsense term... what is "Single-spindle"? If you use a term that isn’t in *wide* use, please explain the thing.]]>PaulS Fri, 20 Jul 2001 04:06:02 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/laptops-and-notebooks/single-spindle-notebooks#commentsAnchorApplication-Deployment Toolshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchorWed, 18 Jul 2001 15:03:21 GMT
I’d like to compliment Tom Iwanski on a very thorough review and analysis of these products, and especially for identifying the many strengths of netDeploy Global for large enterprise software management.

I do have one comment on this sentence though: "Unfortunately, netDeploy Global doesn’t have the same appeal for organizations that don’t intend to migrate to AD." Any product that provides policy-based software management has to store policy information somewhere. In our opinion Active Directory provides a much more powerful and robust repository for policy information than you’ll find in any other software management product. Of course, there will be very few of your readers who are not planning to migrate to Active Directory anyway!]]>Graeme Greenhill, president, Open Software Associates Wed, 18 Jul 2001 15:03:21 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/application-deployment-tools#commentsAnchor802.11 Wireless Deviceshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorFri, 06 Jul 2001 16:01:49 GMT
The D-Link series of products have gotten great reviews from Maximum PC and we have a couple of our executives using it at home. Smooth install, great operation.]]>RONALD LEEFri, 06 Jul 2001 16:01:49 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchor802.11 Wireless Deviceshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorTue, 03 Jul 2001 11:22:48 GMT
The Lab contacted both Cisco and Intel, inviting them to participate in this guide, but they did not respond. Our policy is to just list the products whose information has been submitted by the vendors. We attempt to contact all companies offering products fitting into each issue’s buyer’s guide topic, but cannot make this an all-encompassing guide without their assistance. We’ll keep trying!

--Sue Cooper

Windows 2000 Magazine Lab]]>Sue Cooper Tue, 03 Jul 2001 11:22:48 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorEnterprise Defragmentation Utilitieshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/enterprise-defragmentation-utilities#commentsAnchorTue, 26 Jun 2001 22:55:19 GMT
By its very design, Windows NT/2000 does not allow a paging file on a disk volume to be defragmented online (when the computer is running and the operating system is fully started). This is due to data integrity issues related to the way Windows NT/2000 maintains the paging file.

More information:

During the developmental stages of Windows NT, defragmentation application programming interfaces (APIs) were developed and built into Windows NT to ensure that files could be moved safely—without data loss, system crashes, or corruption—while the operating system was running.

To ensure against data loss, system crashes and file corruption, the Windows 2000 Disk Defragmenter interoperates with the file system and APIs.

Disk defragmentation tools use the following process when defragmenting:

1. Locating the fragments of each file throughout the disk.
2. Copying them contiguously to a new location.
3. Verifying that the copy is an exact duplicate of the original.
4. Updating the Master File Table (MFT) so that the new file location is set.
5. De-allocating the old location and reclassifying it as free space.


When Windows 2000 starts up, disk space is allocated to the MFT and the Paging File for their exclusive use. It’s important to know that the APIs that enable safe defragmentation do not support the movement of these files; as a result, they cannot be moved safely. Therefore, it’s recommended that the MFT and the Paging File be defragmented when Windows 2000 is not running. But, because this places them beyond the range of routine defragmentation methods, the standard solution is to defragment the MFT and the Paging File during boot time, using a third-party, enterprise-level defragmenter.

Diskeeper does not defragment the paging file and MFT online. Taking all the above into account, is the SpeedDisk "proprietary" method fully supported by Microsoft? ]]>Glenn Turner Tue, 26 Jun 2001 22:55:19 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/enterprise-defragmentation-utilities#commentsAnchor802.11 Wireless Deviceshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorThu, 21 Jun 2001 10:17:45 GMT
Cisco Aironet & Intel wirless should be included.]]>Galen Fong Thu, 21 Jun 2001 10:17:45 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchor802.11 Wireless Deviceshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorMon, 18 Jun 2001 14:09:02 GMT
I’m not a Cisco-fanatic, but how can you call this a buyer’s guide when you don’t include one of the market segment leaders ?]]>DougMon, 18 Jun 2001 14:09:02 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/mobile-and-wireless2/802-11-wireless-devices#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorThu, 15 Feb 2001 14:04:09 GMT
Interesting. How, many points will the scan read and on voice what happens with a cold, pull tooth. Same with a photo. Security is good the best is not to have net work until it is required. Yes, the network is the business world and in some homes. But security is a good firewall, password and not changing to the newest at the first drop a hat. I still use W95 and NT 3.X with the security patches. Cost mostly time and arhiving.]]>HH Wieck Thu, 15 Feb 2001 14:04:09 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorWed, 07 Feb 2001 05:59:48 GMT
I want to implement fingerprint identifiction. But the big problem is that my company has an centralized IT department that supports 200 users in 15 diffrent places in the country. We use SMS 2.0 for remote viewing of users workstations and servers. Today, if the user is not loggen on I click the "send Ctrl+Alt+Del" button, but how is this done if my authentication is my thumb that is 100 miles away?]]>Mikael Johannisson Wed, 07 Feb 2001 05:59:48 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorTue, 06 Feb 2001 09:10:46 GMT
Marcel I was not suggesting that the problem is in the comparing of live fingerprint to storage. I meant something to the effect of what is explained here at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/avanti/authenticate.htm Quote "Take for example the biometric template matching process. When the user enrols into the system, a biometric template (the data describing their biometric) is created and stored either in a database to be held somewhere on the system, or on a portable token such as a chip card. Upon verification, this template is retrieved and compared against the live sample within a predefined matching tolerance level. If the templates match, then a ’true’ message is generated by the matching system, to be used as applicable elsewhere in the process. The degree of possibility that this ’true’ message could be discovered, captured, artificially injected or otherwise compromised, might affect our confidence in the authentication process. The overall systems architecture plays a strong part here, in that the biometric matching engine may reside on a back end server, on the client, or perhaps an intermediary. It’s precise relationship with directory information and the communication between client (or point of live biometric capture) and host will be important from the overall security perspective. We need to be sure that we are really ’authenticating’ the user and not ’authenticating’ a message." My concerns are over the whole of the system. With all the damn security holes in present and FUTURE systems I am not will to place my trust in the "solution to end all problems!" After long exsistance our long trusted DNS servers running BIND have fallen to security holes. In the end, it is all about Risk Assessment. How much can you afford to lose? And for the rest there is insurance! LOL]]>Bert T. Skaletski Tue, 06 Feb 2001 09:10:46 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorSun, 04 Feb 2001 10:53:42 GMT
I do not agree with the comments of Bert and Bob regarding biometric data. The major key attribute of a fingerprint reader is, that it does not store a picture of a fingerprint, instead vectorized minutiae, that cannot be used the re-genereate the originial print. Authentication is made by pattern matching. Typically "electronic signatures" or certificates or not created using ones fingerprint or even the patterns, but by using the same algorithms used in smartcards. The Sony FIU-710 is a good example of a slim, fast and usable fingerprint reader with reasonable amount of RAM to store certificates, CRLs, and so on. Smartcards lack of three things: speed, capacity and the most important one: it has plenty of space for the user to write the PIN on it. Today, a 16KB smartcard can only store the pattern of one single finger along with a certificate.]]>Marcel Wiedemeier Sun, 04 Feb 2001 10:53:42 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorEnterprise Defragmentation Utilitieshttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/enterprise-defragmentation-utilities#commentsAnchorFri, 02 Feb 2001 13:35:19 GMT
Obviously the person doing the review is biased...No surprize to me that he picked Speed Disk as the best performing utility especially since they are a billion dollar company, with large advertising budgets. Now he has a problem with rebooting a system, but not with installing patches every time Microsoft comes out with a service pack? How many service packs did NT have? Do you think for a minute that I want to install 4 different patches on all 200 of my machines? This guy is crazy, saying that PerfectDisk 2000 scheduling is confusing, aren’t IT professionals supposed to like added features? With Perfectdisk 2000 you can remotely schedule down to the partition or down to the exact file you want to defragg. Did this guy crawl out from the same rock as the last boob that evaluated the three products?]]>Chris McGuire Fri, 02 Feb 2001 13:35:19 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/enterprise-defragmentation-utilities#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorThu, 01 Feb 2001 07:56:52 GMT
i have come up a key smart solution that combines biometic finger print reader and digital cylinder that operates on the CE platform to work with my new server system for home user’s and small retailer’s, but still a lot work to done before i finally develop this solution. you can check it out at www.ibillboard.com.au]]>micheal hodgson Thu, 01 Feb 2001 07:56:52 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorThu, 01 Feb 2001 01:39:37 GMT
Bob, my sentiments exactly! Read what Kurt Seifired from securityportal has to say http://securityportal.com/closet/closet20010110.html Same scenario. If Hackers are gaining access to credit card databases, whats to stop them from gaining access to biomentric data. Or as Kurt suggests recording it for later use! Guess I’ll be hacking off fingers and toes. To me it it just a lot of whitewash. Mark Edwards just related in his newsletter how administrators are failing to apply security patches. Do you think I’ll trust them with my biometric info??? Gotta be thankful Germany still has one of the strongest laws supporting personal data security. I doubt we will be using biometrics any time soon. At least not on a volunteer basis.]]>Bert T. Skaletski Thu, 01 Feb 2001 01:39:37 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorMon, 29 Jan 2001 07:16:12 GMT
I tested the Biopassword technology from Net Nanny Software at their demo site at http://www.biopassword.com. Seems fine to add an extra security level. Maybe Microsoft can buy it to prevent that their top managers will be victim again of hackers atack with theirs passwords.]]>Norma Rosado Mon, 29 Jan 2001 07:16:12 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorBiometric Identificationhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorMon, 22 Jan 2001 03:58:11 GMT
Biometrics are not the answer to the identification/authentication problem. I think you have to listen to what Schneier said in ’Secrets and Lies’. Biometric ’readers’ work fine until an attacker steals the electronic signature generated by your finger print. Now your signature has been compromised so you have to use another digit. What happens if this is repeated? You could end up having to take your shoes and socks off to log in to your PC. Biometrics may be fine in closed systems but I can’t see them being any more secure than a smart card (or even a good password) in authenticating to public systems and they are a lot more trouble to change.]]>Robert Taylor Mon, 22 Jan 2001 03:58:11 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/hardware/biometric-identification#commentsAnchorERD Commander 2000 2.0http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/erd-commander-2000-2-0#commentsAnchorFri, 15 Dec 2000 06:15:44 GMT
Wow, sounds terrific but I’m small time and $349 is way too high for a general plunker like me. Ghost and hacked Win98 startup disks do the job for me. Excellent article, if I ever do this full time I will have to add the ERD Commander to my toolbox. Maybe you could license it to Norton?]]>Keith Nelson Fri, 15 Dec 2000 06:15:44 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/erd-commander-2000-2-0#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorThu, 19 Oct 2000 15:24:38 GMT
,br>
I work in a large IT organization, and one of my key responsibilities was to identify, implement, and maintain an enterprise-level data backup-and-recovery solution. I spent many months working with colleagues, vendors, and consultants to research, test, and evaluate various packages. I was quite eager to read Tom Iwanski’s Lab Reports: "Enterprise Backup Software" (June 2000)--­especially because the Lab’s test environment somewhat resembled the data and hardware types in my production environments.



Unfortunately, my excitement began to wane as I read through the tests and results, and at the end of the article, I was left with an overwhelming sense of disappointment. To test the product, the reviewer moved a large amount of data from multiple nodes to tape, then moved the data back--­that’s all. NT’s native backup software can do that. Aside from using a central repository (a tape library), the review didn’t address--­or even raise--­any enterprise- level concerns.



I would rather have read about data version control, data expiration methods, media reclamation processes, copy-pools, off-site storage, media rotation strategies, backup server protection, and bare-metal restores. What happens when a node fails after a year and needs to be restored from scratch? Where are the tapes, and are they still good? When a client requests that a specific set of files be restored from specific dates, how easily and reliably are the files located? What happens when the backup server dies? How easily can a new machine take over while retaining all vital history? In my enterprise, I face such questions each day.



Some of the packages in this comparison address and resolve these enterprise-level concerns. Unfortunately, the differentiating features of the products never got a chance to see the light of day. In my opinion, if you want to just stick your data on tape quickly and be able to restore it some day, you go for the cheapest package that is easy to install. But, if you really want an enterprise-level backup-and-recovery solution, you better do more testing.

]]>Duane Cooper Thu, 19 Oct 2000 15:24:38 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorThu, 19 Oct 2000 15:14:28 GMT


You bring up several points that the Lab will definitely look at so that we deliver product reviews that meet the needs of readers. In the Lab, we face two constraints whenever we want to review a group of products: the amount of time it will take to test all the products and the number of pages the article can occupy in the magazine. For the five products that we reviewed, comparing the features you mentioned could have tripled our testing time and doubled the length of the final article. I don’t offer these factors as an excuse but simply an example of some of the challenges we face as reviewers. Please send other suggestions about how we can make the most of our product reviews to letters@ win2000mag.com. --­Tom Iwanski

]]>Tom Iwanski Thu, 19 Oct 2000 15:14:28 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorThu, 21 Sep 2000 07:57:32 GMT
Your tests appeared to be very objective and are as informative as possibly could be. The testing environment you set up was nothing short of amazing given the quantity, quality and degree of difficulty of the items involved both in terms of hardware and software. The results were clear in their relevance and intuitiveness. I score this piece a solid "10". I would personally like to have 10% of your testing budget.]]>Rocky Habeeb Thu, 21 Sep 2000 07:57:32 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorNorton Ghost 6.0 Enterprise Editionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorThu, 20 Jul 2000 13:34:53 GMT
Do you think that this product is fairly priced for its functionality and how does it compare to products like CA’s ShipIt and CFEngine?]]>simonThu, 20 Jul 2000 13:34:53 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorThu, 29 Jun 2000 23:28:16 GMT
Congratulations on your assessment of the Backup & Restore software. There will always be pro’s & con’s depending on what you are looking for in Backup software for your business and environment. A point you made that is, I believe the most valid in choosing the right backup solution, is that of technical support. All backup software will require technical support no matter what the vendor tells you, particularly in large distributed hetergenious environments. The most important issue facing Network / System / Backup administrators is the advancement of technology like newer OS platform versions, applications, new hardware (such as tape libraries, devices) and firmware revisions coupled with smaller backup windows. E-Business also requires 100% uptime 24x7. This is why when choosing a Backup / Restore solution you must trial / demo the software and "TEST" the technical support that is "Backing up" the software. I would really like to know how the service and support the technicians provided you or would provide you in a number of crucial areas. 1. On Calling the tech support line was there an initial callback time or were you in direct contact with the tech. 2. The techs technical knowledge or competency 3. There professionalism in dealing with the issue. 4. If the issue was not able to be resolved directly, how was there follow up on commitments they made to you. 5. The time taken to resolve the issue. 6. Your satisfaction with that solution. and finally, based on the above, what score would you give for the overall handling of the issue. As price and performance is an issue for IT managers so to should be the "safety net" that to many organisations don’t plan for if something does go wrong (wether it be software, hardware, platform related). The support techncians should not only know the product but its functionality on distributed systems. What do you think?]]>Phil Langlar Thu, 29 Jun 2000 23:28:16 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorTue, 20 Jun 2000 16:31:19 GMT
What about Galaxy from CommVault? Nothing comes close when it comes to backing up Exchange. They handle NT and SQL as well as providing the ability to backup NT 4.0 and correctly restore on to Windows 2000, including permissions.]]>Jim Smith Tue, 20 Jun 2000 16:31:19 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorEnterprise Backup Softwarehttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorSat, 10 Jun 2000 11:15:12 GMT
Why UltraBac was not included?]]>Jay Kulsh Sat, 10 Jun 2000 11:15:12 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/backup-recovery/enterprise-backup-software#commentsAnchorNorton Ghost 6.0 Enterprise Editionhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorWed, 03 May 2000 15:25:59 GMT
Ghost did what the highly touted Imagecast 4.1 could never do and that is image a NT4 box with full NTFS permissions (ZAK, etc.). My shop tried incessantly to image this box hoping that all of our espousing of Imagecast would come through for us. Many wasted hours later, Ghost came through for us. The joining of domains is needed, but inconsequential in comparison to the ability to clone NTFS. Imagecast doesn’t have a full solution to joining domains either at this point.]]>Thomas Paget Wed, 03 May 2000 15:25:59 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/change-and-configuration-management/norton-ghost-6-0-enterprise-edition#commentsAnchorWired for Management Standardhttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/windows-client/wired-for-management-standard#commentsAnchorWed, 05 Apr 2000 07:27:43 GMT
I have searched your archives about Desktop Management and I was surprised that non of them talked about HP OpenView Desktop Administrator (let alone evaluate it with MS SMS or ZenWorks)... I hope that my comment here will bring that product under the microsocope.. Thanks]]>Fadi Osekrie Wed, 05 Apr 2000 07:27:43 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/windows-client/wired-for-management-standard#commentsAnchorON Command CCM 4.5http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/on-command-ccm-4-5#commentsAnchorSat, 26 Feb 2000 10:57:28 GMT
the web site is Castelles no Ontechnology, just an FYI I have a different experiece with this product I am sure your readers Should/would like to know. In short we engaged the professional services for a install and project management and a aggressive deadline that ON and its professional services said they could meet, we were told ON could meet all of our expectations (which I was not foolish enough to believe) We have paid them thus far upwards of $60,000. to date and still have a "half-cooked" hodge podge of pakages, security issues, policy issues, and I could go on and substatiate any of this. I have just learned that the key princple is leaving the company and the Professional services are stretched too thin to help us. The product works in a all NT environment or lab situation. ON Professional services (PSO) does not the have the core competencies to provide the kind of project management they advertise. Besides spending the $60k I engaged another $30k to complete our deadline with contracted labor, which is what we were trying to avoid. I welcome your comments and feedback. regards, ]]>Dana Arnett Sat, 26 Feb 2000 10:57:28 GMThttp://www.windowsitpro.com/article/product-review/on-command-ccm-4-5#commentsAnchor